Happy Birthday, Yuuchan
by saxon-jesus
Summary: A drabble for our dear Kanda's birthday! Laviyuu. Lavi is sick and of course it would be on Kanda's birthday! Oh well, at least he can skip the party.


Happy Birthday, Yuu-chan

As the light that permeated through the window brought Yuu to sleepy awareness, he lazily disentangled himself from the lump of blankets on the bed next to him. That was how he usually awoke, with his legs coiling around Lavi's, the blankets curling over the redhead's barely visible form. It was a given fact that Yuu would wake up cold whenever Lavi was with him. The boy always stole whatever blankets he could, and he would always wake up with a smile when he realized that he'd once again deprived his lover of something so essential. Secretly, Yuu knew that Lavi only stole the covers so that the Japanese boy would grab him and hold him close. But he didn't have to acknowledge that, not when it was still unspoken.

The lump of twisted, coiled bedclothes shivered as the dark-haired boy sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. Patting the lump in a place that could be considered the head, judging by the few tufts of red hair that emerged from it, Yuu pretended he was not being affectionate and began to dress.

A cough exploded through the room, ripping itself from somewhere inside the blankets. Yuu turned, concerned despite the fact that he wasn't supposed to care. The noise had sounded harsh and gurgling, as if it had been caused by some type of fluid in the lungs. Walking back over to the blankets, he attempted to pull them apart so that he could see the redhead encased within.

The first sign that Lavi was sick was the ashen pallor that was far whiter than his normal complexion. His cheeks were flushed in obvious fever, and his arms wrapped almost protectively around his chest, as if he was trying futilely to warm himself. The dark-haired boy quickly replaced the covers, and they shifted as Lavi subconsciously found a more comfortable position. Sighing, Yuu sat on the edge of his bed, pushing the lump of covers farther back so that he, too, could sit in a more restful arrangement. The lump immediately stirred again, drifting toward Yuu until cold, clammy arms wrapped around his waist and a feverish face nuzzled against his stomach.

Lavi sighed in the first signs of wakefulness as Yuu brought a hand up to automatically run through the shock of red hair that was dampened with sweat. He burrowed his face a bit deeper into Yuu's stomach, unwittingly pushing the thin fabric of the Japanese boy's shirt up so his cheek met with soft flesh.

Another cough resounded through the room, splitting the sort-of-silence that normally followed Yuu's waking. Lavi's left eye snapped open as a third cough made him curl into himself with the force and putrid-looking, yellow-green phlegm landed on Yuu's freshly washed pants.

The Japanese boy growled but kept patting the boy's head as he continued to cough, a string of curses slurring from his mouth as the fit became stronger.

"Yuu-chan..." Lavi rasped weakly once the attack had stopped, tightening his arms around the dark-haired boy's waist as he wheezed slightly.

Of course Lavi would be sick on his birthday, of all days.

And of course he would be stuck taking care of the idiot. Which was a viable excuse not to show himself to anyone else, especially stupid Chinese girls who dragged him to dining halls where all the party-happy Order members seemed to be. Even if Jerry's "extra-special birthday soba tempura delight" was worth the torture.

"What do you want, _Baka Usagi_?" Yuu asked, his voice coming out too soft with an emotion he didn't like, rather than his usual gruff tone.

Lavi sniveled. He actually sniveled.

"Water," the apprentice Bookman croaked, trying to clear his throat and throwing himself into another coughing fit. Yuu smoothed the other boy's hair back from his forehead, attempting to calm the redhead until the attack stopped.

"_Che_. Get it yourself," Yuu scoffed, prying Lavi's arms from his waist and standing up. Pulling on a nearby pair of shoes, he walked off toward the kitchen, intending to get some water from Jerry. Once his task was finished, he returned to the room and placed the perspiring glass into Lavi's chilled hands. The boy drank greedily, though Yuu noted that he still managed to be his same sloppy self, water sliding down Lavi's chin and onto the sheets.

The day passed in a similar manner, with Yuu grudgingly running errands for the idiot boy he called his lover. Much as he tried, however, he didn't mind. Though he would never admit it to anyone--much less himself--he would do anything for the stupid rabbit, even if it meant doing something arbitrary like grab a bowl and fill it with icy water so he could lay a cool towel on his lover's warm forehead.

Lavi's fever broke around seven or eight that evening, and he fell into a much more peaceful sleep, holding onto Yuu's waist once more. Sighing, the dark-haired boy reached over to replace the towel on the apprentice Bookman's forehead. As he immersed the towel in the still cool water, a soft knock tapped a light pattern on the heavy door.

"Kanda-kun, I know you don't like the celebration, but you have to come for a little bit. Please?" Lenalee asked, her voice softly permeating through the thick wood.

Yuu didn't respond, hoping that if he just ignored her enough, she'd go away and--

--Not come inside, abusing the power of her Dark Boots to throw the door open.

"_Che._" It was really all he could say in his position. Lavi was still wrapped around him, clinging tightly to his waist as he pillowed his head on Yuu's thigh, the hair on the back of his head tickling the Japanese boy's bare stomach--at some point, Lavi had told him to divest himself of his shirt so the redhead could "get more warmth" because he was "so cold, Yuu-chan, that I may freeze to death. See how I'm shakin'?" The dark-haired boy himself had one hand in the bowl of water as the other one sat atop Lavi's head, curled amongst the soft but sweaty red hair that he would never admit to liking.

Lenalee froze, her facial expression abruptly turning from shocked to awed and then to something like understanding. She backed out of the room, her hands raised in an open position as if to show surrender.

"Sorry, Kanda-kun," she said, "I didn't realize you were busy. Is Lavi okay?"

"Sick," Yuu grunted, wanting to move his hand from Lavi's hair but finding himself unable to. It felt too... _good_ there.

Lenalee nodded and departed, closing the door softly behind her. "Don't worry," she said through the door, "I'll tell _Gege_ that you're a bit under the weather today. Jerry will probably even send over some of his special birthday soba for you. If you need anything, just tell me, okay?"

Yuu nodded curtly, though he knew that the Chinese girl would not see the action. "_Che_," he intoned, but he figured Lenalee got the message.

Lavi made a little whimpering noise, and Yuu moved the hand in the boy's hair in what he hoped was a soothing fashion. One-handedly, he wrung out the towel and leaned down to kiss the boy's forehead before placing it there.

"Happy birthday, Yuu-chan," the redhead mumbled, stirring a little so that he held the Japanese boy as tight as he could get away with. Yuu pulled plaintively at the arms, though he didn't really care. It didn't show much on his face, but there was a small twitch of his lips, a tiny upward pull, and the expression in his eyes was probably something he'd never forgive himself for. But it didn't matter--not at the moment--because Lavi was there, and perhaps, corny as it sounded, it was a happy birthday after all, the first one he'd truly enjoyed.

Though he might act stoic and cold to most people, Lavi, as always, was an exception.

A/N: Sorry if Yuu is slightly out of character, but... meh. He was being all cute and fluffy, and it's a good change from usually write, isn't it? We didn't really see any angst here, did you? It's almost disconcerting with its extreme lack. But yes, if you see any mistakes, do point them out. This was penned--typed?--at three in the morning. ^__^


End file.
